Jing Wang and Qi Heting truly couldn’t believe it.
Who in the year 20XX didn’t have a smartphone?
No matter how thick-skinned Bai Tao was, she still felt a little embarrassed, a blush creeping up her cheeks.
“It’s fine.
I can probably fix these, so they’ll still be usable.
You don’t have to pay for them.”
She fiddled with the arm of her glasses, about to put them back on.
Qi Heting’s lips curled, his eyes crinkling into a smile as he lowered his voice.
“Looks like the special admissions student with no smartphone plans to let you off the hook, Ah Wang.”
Jing Wang’s brow twitched.
‘Let him off the hook?’
‘He was already annoyed.
His condition had flared up last night, so he hadn’t gotten any sleep.’
‘He’d planned to catch up on sleep, but then this girl flew out of nowhere and landed right on top of him.’
‘And now she was going to let *him* off the hook?’
He reached out and snatched Bai Tao’s broken glasses.
“You don’t actually think I’d be in your debt over a pair of glasses, do you?”
He tossed the glasses directly into a trash can, while his other hand tapped rapidly on his phone with one finger, his gaze flicking to Qi Heting, who was standing idly by.
“So, what do you want?”
“You can’t be so bored that you’ve come to stick up for a special admissions student, right?”
Qi Heting casually adjusted the emerald cufflinks on his sleeve.
The sunlight gilded the tips of his curved lashes.
“I just came to remind you, don’t forget we’re having lunch together today.
Ah Su has something to talk about.”
Qi Heting turned and waved.
“If you’re late, he’ll get angry again.”
“I really don’t want to be the peacemaker again.
It’s exhausting.”
“I’m heading out.”
Jing Wang clicked his tongue, locked his phone, and strode past Bai Tao toward the main road by the school gate.
“Keep up.”
Bai Tao got up and walked with careful steps.
Hearing the shuffling footsteps behind him, Jing Wang turned his head, displeased.
“I thought I told you, I hate waiting.”
Bai Tao finally managed to get from the grass onto the red brick path.
“Sorry, I haven’t taken my glasses off in ages.
I feel a little unsteady walking without them.”
“I’ll be fine once I adjust.”
Jing Wang pressed his lips together.
‘He figured it was the bean sprout’s long bangs getting in her way.’
He stood there, watching the bean sprout move at a snail’s pace.
‘The wait was making him antsy.’
He tugged at his collar, his fingertips scratching forcefully at his neck, leaving red marks on his pale skin.
He strode forward, undid his tie, and handed one end to Bai Tao.
“Hold on.”
Bai Tao reached out.
As her fingertips grasped a corner of the tie, they unintentionally brushed against the back of Jing Wang’s hand.
Jing Wang froze.
Even through the layer of bandages, he could clearly feel the surprising coolness of her fingertips.
‘Unexpectedly, he wasn’t repulsed by it.’
“Thank you, classmate.”
Bai Tao wrapped the end of the tie once around her palm and moved a little closer.
“But, could I trouble you to take me to my classroom first?”
“It’s the first day, and every class has a meeting… I don’t want to get marked for skipping.”
Her almond-shaped eyes twinkled like stars through her heavy bangs.
Jing Wang looked away, stuffing the hand holding his end of the tie into his pocket.
“Name, major, class.”
Bai Tao played dumb.
“Hm?”
Jing Wang’s patience was thin.
“Are you deaf as well as blind?”
When she still didn’t answer and just hung her head as if he’d scared her…
‘She’s more timid than a kitten.’
After a three-second standoff, Jing Wang finally softened his tone.
“I’ll contact someone to get you excused.”
“It’s not like I’m going to eat you.”
Only then did Bai Tao respond, her voice softer than a mosquito’s buzz, “Bai Tao, Finance Department, Class 3.”
Jing Wang just grunted an “Mm” from deep in his throat and prepared to “lead” Bai Tao toward the main gate with the tie.
“What about you?” Bai Tao raised her face slightly.
“What’s your name?”
Jing Wang’s steps faltered for half a second, as if he’d heard the world’s biggest joke.
‘What’s my name?’
‘There’s actually someone in this world who doesn’t know my name?’
“Jing Wang.”
Bai Tao nodded.
“Got it, Jing.”
“My last name isn’t Jing.”
Bai Tao looked serious.
“Are you a foreigner?
Okay, got it, Wang.”
Jing Wang: …
‘Have Heslington’s standards for special admissions students dropped this low?’
‘Whatever.’
‘It’s still better than being called Lingzhou.’
A few moments later, a stretch limousine, the kind you only see in manga, pulled up in front of them.
‘I’m going to cry.’ Bai Tao thought.
‘One day, I’m going to be rich too.’
She stared at the handsome money tree beside her, her resolve strengthening.
Heslington Beast School was famous for its strict management.
Except for weekends and holidays, it operated as a closed campus during the semester.
Unless it was a special situation, or if you were one of the F5, you could not leave school grounds at will.
Outsiders who wanted to get in also needed a current student to sponsor them.
However, its first-rate, all-inclusive facilities and a campus nearly half the size of a major city made it feel more like an isolated paradise for the young masters and ladies.
The stretch limousine didn’t stop at a normal optometrist’s shop, but in front of a private hospital with the name “Lingzhou” engraved on its facade.
The moment they got out of the car, the greeters on both sides bowed in unison.
“Young Master Lingzhou!”
Jing Wang couldn’t be bothered to spare them a glance, walking straight through the crowd.
An optometrist in a white coat stopped beside Jing Wang, looking utterly deferential.
“Young Master Lingzhou, everything has been arranged.”
Seeing the man had arrived, Jing Wang yawned, shoved both hands in his pockets, and walked straight toward the VIP lounge.
“Miss Bai, this way, please.
Let’s start with the eye exam.”
Bai Tao followed them into the examination room and was settled into a seat.
The doctor noticed Bai Tao’s overly long bangs and gestured to the assistant beside him.
The next second, the assistant was holding a newly unwrapped hair clip.
“Miss Bai, to make the eye exam more convenient, we’d like to clip your bangs back.
Is that alright?”
Bai Tao touched her heavy bangs.
“Mm, okay.”
She used the small clip to secure all of her bangs to the crown of her head, leaving a few fluffy, wispy hairs to frame her hairline.
Her beautiful almond eyes saw the light of day for the first time in a long while.
Her feathery lashes were curled, each one distinctly reflected in her dark, tea-colored pupils.
The charming crescent shapes beneath her eyes were full and slightly puffed even when she wasn’t smiling.
Her brow bones were perfectly defined, adding dimension to her face while retaining her youthful sweetness.
The doctor and the assistant were clearly stunned.
‘She was breathtakingly beautiful.’
‘So beautiful they wished they could transform into hairstylists and permanently banish this young lady’s bangs.’
‘They had been wondering why Young Master Lingzhou, who normally wouldn’t even let a female mosquito near him, would bring a girl here for no reason.’
‘And he even went to the VIP lounge to wait for her.’
‘The moment they saw this face, they understood.’
‘It seemed this young lady was definitely Young Master Lingzhou’s girlfriend, no doubt about it.’
‘As expected of Young Master Lingzhou!’
‘His taste is wickedly sharp!’
‘To have found such a hidden gem!’
The assistant leaned toward the doctor’s ear.
“Right, what kind of glasses did Young Master Lingzhou say to get?”
The doctor snapped back to reality and lowered his voice.
“Do you even need to ask?
The best, of course.”
His gaze returned to Bai Tao, his smile even more fawning than it was two minutes ago.
“Well then, Miss Bai, let’s begin.”
Jing Wang was catching up on sleep in the VIP lounge.
He had no idea how much time had passed.
KNOCK KNOCK.
A rapping on the door made him reluctantly force his eyes open.
“Young Master Lingzhou, we have already fitted Miss Bai with her glasses.”
He glanced at his phone and realized it was almost eleven o’clock.
‘More than two hours to fit a pair of glasses?’
‘And why are they calling me now that they’re done?’
“Young Master Lingzhou is probably sleeping.
He’s right inside.
Why don’t you go in and wake him?”
Just then, the door opened, and a fluffy head poked through the crack.
Jing Wang wasn’t fully awake yet, his eyes half-lidded.
But the moment he saw her face clearly, most of his sleepiness vanished.
‘Is that…
the bean sprout from before?’